Today, we are going to see the Symptoms and complications of pneumonia.
Symptoms of pneumonia
Symptoms of pneumonia may differ depending on its origin, bacterial or viral. Usually, pneumonia begins with the onset of dry cough which, within days, becomes oily. Sputum may be yellow, green or reddish-brown, sometimes thick and whitish in the case of mycoplasma pneumonia.
The fever sets in very quickly and can reach high values (up to 41 ° C). The sick person is short of breath and weak during daily activities and complains of chest pain when breathing in or when coughing, muscle pain and headache. She has bad breath and may have blue lips and nails due to poor blood oxygenation.
When the disease worsens, the patient breathes quickly (more than 30 breaths per minute) and his pulse at rest is abnormally high (more than 120 beats per minute). He may become delirious or confused.
In viral pneumonia, the pulmonary alveoli do not fill with fluid or pus. Rather, it is the walls of the alveoli and bronchioles that are inflamed and hamper breathing. Because of this, the cough tends to stay dry, without sputum.
Mycoplasma pneumonia, which mostly affects young people, is less severe than other forms of infectious pneumonia. The sick person often continues their activities despite the symptoms.
In the elderly, symptoms of pneumonia are often less severe. In those who suffer from a chronic disease ( diabetes, COPD, cardiovascular disease), the pulmonary infection can worsen the symptoms of these diseases which, sometimes, camouflage those of pneumonia.
Pneumonia caused by chlamydia can also cause digestive problems (diarrhoea) and pain in the joints.
Complications of pneumonia
Viral pneumonia can be complicated by secondary infection with bacteria. Bacterial pneumonia can cause pleural effusion or pleurisy (fluid collects between the envelopes of the lungs and prevents them from swelling on inspiration), or even a lung abscess.
These complicated pneumonia cause severe respiratory distress which may require oxygen or assisted respiratory ventilation. In some cases, particularly with pneumococcal infection, the lung infection can spread through the blood and trigger septic shock, which can be fatal.
How does the doctor diagnose pneumonia?
x-ray of the lungs
To diagnose pneumonia, a doctor relies on physical examination, auscultation of breathing sounds with a stethoscope, and an x-ray (or CT scan ) of the lungs. If he suspects bacterial pneumonia, he prescribes immediate antibiotic treatment (ideally taken within four hours of the consultation) without waiting for the results of the x-ray, even if it means modifying the treatment later.
Analysis of sputum (sputum) or blood to identify the microorganism responsible for pneumonia is only done during hospitalizations. In some cases, it is necessary to perform a bronchoalveolar lavage to collect the microorganisms: under anaesthesia, a thin tube is inserted into a bronchus, the sterile physiological serum is injected, then aspirated and cultured. The identification of the microorganisms responsible for pneumonia is only possible in half of the cases.
pneumonia 